Pregnancy in women 50 or more years of age: outcomes of 22 consecutively established pregnancies from oocyte donation.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the reproductive and obstetric outcomes of women > or = 50 years attempting pregnancy using donor oocytes.

SETTING

The IVF program at the University of Southern California.

PATIENTS

Thirty-six postmenopausal women aged 50 to 59 years, mean 52.3 +/- 2.6 years (mean +/- SD) were screened medically, reproductively, and psychologically and enrolled in a trial of oocyte donation.

INTERVENTIONS

Recipients underwent hormone replacement therapy using oral micronized E2 and IM administered P. Oocytes were provided by designated gamete donors (mean age 30.5 +/- 4.4 years). Embryos (4.3 +/- 1.2) were transferred transcervically.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Rates for embryo implantation, spontaneous abortion, ongoing and delivered pregnancies, as well as the gestational age at delivery, birthweights, complications, and postpartum outcomes.

RESULTS

Forty-five aspirations resulted in 22 pregnancies (48.9%): 3 preclinical, 2 ending in spontaneous abortion, and 17 viable pregnancies (37.8%). The embryo implantation rate was 20.6%. Nine of 17 pregnancies (52.9%) were multiple gestations (6 twins; 1 triplet; and 2 quadruplets, selectively terminated to twins). All pregnancies delivered beyond 32 weeks: mean gestational age for singletons was 38.4 +/- 1.9 weeks (range 35 to 41 weeks); mean gestational age for twins was 36.3 +/- 1.4 weeks (range 34 to 38 weeks); the triplet pregnancy delivered at 32 weeks. Complications occurred in eight patients; gestational hypertension (n = 7), preterm labor (n = 3), gestational diabetes (n = 2), and pre-eclampsia (n = 1). One infant was trisomy-21.

CONCLUSION

Patients > or = 50 years experience similar pregnancy rates after oocyte donation as younger women and are at equal risk for multiple gestation. Antenatal complications were experienced by the majority of patients, underscoring the importance of high risk obstetric surveillance and care.